Box front for automatic looms



April 28, 1953 E. E. STAUFFER 2,636,521

BOX FRONT FOR AUTOMATIC LOOMS Filed Aug. 9. 1950 FIG.I

FIG. 2

nvvlshrr'ok' ovlm e'. STAUFFER BYT ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1953 BOXFRONT FOR AUTOMATIC LO-OMS Edwin E. Stauffcr, East Lyndon, Pa.,.assignorto Lancaster Belting & Textile Supply Company, Lancaster, Pa., apartnership Application August 9, 1950, Serial No. 178,468

3 Claims. (01. 139-183) This invention relates to a box front forautomatic. looms.

In an automatic loom the shuttle is partially braked by the leathercovered box front which is thesubject of this invention. The function ofthis box front is to brake .the speed of the shuttle, to guide theshuttle into its proper position for the return throw and to receive anddischarge the shuttle so that the filling is not pinched or broken.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved face, madeof leather which will wear longer, be capable of being bonded to themetal frame of the box front more perinanently and which will reduce thepercentage of thread breakage by the construction of the leather facing.

It is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a fiat facedmetal frame and a leather facing which can be bonded across the entirewidth of the frame.

It is a further object of the present invention to include the method offacing said box fronts, in which the raw leather belting is bondedsecurely across the entire width of the metal frame, a groove is milledin the leather facing, the groove extending into the front curvedportion of said leather facing and the leather facing trimmed so thatall of its edges are rounded except the bottom edges of the sides of themilled groove which are maintained at ri ht angles and the entire facingdressed with dressing and buffed to insure smoothness of said facing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the box front.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front end.

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Figure l.

The box front is formed with a metal frame 6 having an inturned frontend I and a rear end 8.

Lugs 9, l0, and l l are formed integral with the frame and rest on theloom, bolts passing through slots in lugs 9 and ID to adjustably holdthe box front in position. The frame is further formed with longitudinalslots l2 and 13 which serve as entrances for parts of the automatic loomsuch as the feeler fingers which make an electrical contact on the barebobbin and operate the mechanism for the automatic. bobbin replacement.

The face of the improved box front is perfectly fiat as shown at M invFigure 4 and contacts the leather facing I5 across the entire width, thebonds between the face 14 and the back of the leather facing [5 being,therefore, much more permanent and satisfactory than the bond in thepresent box fronts.

The front inturned end I is formed with the conventional thread guide [6which functions during the first throwof the new bobbin to guide thethread in the proper position. This inturned end is recessed at I! toprovide a seat against which the end of the leather facing l5 may butt.The facing I5 is secured at this point by screws l8 and carried acrossthe face [4 of the frame to the back inturned end 8 where it is securedby similar screws [8.

After the leather facing is secured in position a slot I9 is milled insaid leather facing, the milling operation forming right angle sides 20for the slot. This slot is carried slightly around the face of the frontinturned end to permit the thread to lie within the groove even thoughthe shuttle should strike the forward curved corner 2|.

The process of aflixing the leather facing is carried out by firstthoroughly bonding the leather facing to the face I 4 of the frame underpres sure, securing the ends by the screws I8. After drying the slot I9is milled in the face of the leather, the edges around the slots l2 andI3 and along the upper edge of the milled slot l9 as well as the outsideedges 2! .are hand trimmed to present a rounded surface to the shuttleand to avoid any projections on which the filling might be caught. Theleather is then dressed and buffed so that all fibers lay fiat andsmooth, a step which is necessary due to the milling of the slot in theleather rather than pressing the leather into a groove in the framewhich is the present practice. The operation of the improved box fronthas resulted in considerably less filling breakage which is due to theformation of the milled slot l 9. The edges 2!) of said milled slot aresquare cut at the bottom and provide vertical slides which do not permitthe filling to ide up to the face of the box front where it can bepinched in the forward movement of the shuttle. This pinching of thethread results ina stoppage of the loom and consequent loss of time.With the improved box front, having the milled slot and the roundedfront end, the milled slot extending around and into the front end hasreduced the percent of filling breakage considerably.

What is claimed is:

1. A box front for automatic looms, comprising a narrow longitudinalmetal frame having forward and rear. inturned ends and provided withintegral attaching lugs, the forward inturned enclbeing formed with atransverse shoulder, the face of said metal frame being formed flat withtwo spaced openings therein, a leather facing extend-- ing from thetransverse shoulder on said forward end along the entire face and aroundthe. rear inturned end, said facing being securedacross the entire flatWidth of the metal face, and a central milled slot formed in saidleather facing and-eretending around and into each of the ends, theinward edges of said slot being at right angles to prevent creep of thethreads up the sides of the slot.

2. 'A box front for automatic loo-ms, .ccmprising a narrow longitudinalmetal frame having for ward and rear inturned ends and provided withintegral attaching lugs, said frame. being formed with a. flat facinghaving spaced longitudinal. openings, the forward inturned end beingformed with a transverse shoulder, a leather facing abutting saidtransverse shoulder and extending along said metal faceand around saidrear inturned end, means for securing said leather facing at each endand a bond between said leather facing and said'flat metal face, saidleather facing being 4 further formed with a longitudinal milled slothaving straight sides, said slot extending around and into each of theends, the outer edges of said slot and leather facing being rounded, theinward edges of said slot being at right angles to prevent riding of thethread out of the slot,

3. A box front for automatic looms, comprising a narrow longitudinalmetal frame having a flatface formed with spaced longitudinal openingsand forward and rear inturned ends and vprovided with integral attachinglugs, a trans- Verse shoulder on the forward inturned end, a leatherfacing secured entirely across the width of said metalfacing andextending into said intnrned ends; abutting said shoulder on saidforward inturned end, a longitudinal centrally located milled slot insaid leather facing and extending into said forward inturned end toprovide a recess for the thread of a shuttle, the sides of said slotbeing at right angles to the bottom to prevent climbing of the threadfrom the slot, the entire leather facing being smoothed and, buffed topresent a smoothed finish to contact with said shuttle thread.

EDWIN E. STAUFFER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBinette Apr. 10', 1934:

